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Home My WebLink AboutTitle III OptionsTitle III Options November 3, 2008 On October 3, 2008 President Bush signed into law SRS2008 the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Also, SRS2008 has just three categories of approved projects, reduced from the 6 categories approved in prior years. The three approved categories are: (1) Carry out programs under the Firewise Communities program through education and assistance to homeowners regarding ways to reduce risks from wildfire; and (2) reimburse counties for the cost of search, rescue and emergency services, including firefighting, on federal lands; and (3) develop community wildfire protection plans in coordination with the Forest Service and/or the BLM. Title III projects are still subject to a 45-day notice and comment period. Title III has a new requirement for annual certifications by counties that their Title III projects are in compliance with the statutory requirements. As a consequence of the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners decision last year to allocate the Title III dollars to the County Forester, Project Wildfire and Deschutes County Sheriff Department (see Alternative 2) for four years which runs through FY 10-11, I have taken the projected totals for the next four years and projected a budget for that time period. Recipient 08-09 Title III remaining $’s FY 08-12 projected totals 08-09 projected needs 09-10 projected needs 10-11 projected needs 11-12 projected needs Totals $536,971 $955,516 + $536,971 Equals $1,492,487 $1,492,487 Project Wildfire $40,000 + $20,000 Equals $60,000 $40,000 + $20,000 Equals $60,000 $40,000 + $20,000 Equals $60,000 $40,000 + $20,000 Equals $60,000 $240,000 Sheriff’s Department $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $600,000 County Forester $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $75,000 + $75,000 Equals $150,000 $600,000 Recipient Totals $1,240,000 Reserves FY 12-13 +$252,487 Discussion: After reviewing the historical distribution of Title III dollars since the beginning of the funding these projected needs match up both with past allocations for the Sheriff’s Department and projected future needs. The reason for the discrepancy for both Project Wildfire and the County Forester is in the past we have used grant funding to supplement both programs. For the grants we currently have and for the foreseeable future our ability to use grant funding is diminishing for salary and other charges, our grants go almost 100% to “on-ground efforts” and other program management costs are no longer allowed as in past years. In 2008 Project Wildfire costs were $61,333 and the County Forester costs were $159,810. We will continue to maximize grant funding were practical and legal thus increasing the reserve amount for FY 12-13. It is important to realize that since the previous six options for distribution of Title III funding through grants i.e. Heart of Oregon, High Desert Museum, Four Winds Foundation and Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council are no longer available. Consequently the most realistic providers of the three criteria in SRS2008 are Project Wildfire, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department and the County Forester. Recommendation: Approve the funding strategy of Title III funds for FY 08-12 Title III Options September 2007 History: Deschutes County has received both Title II and Title III dollars for approximately five years since the Secure Funding Legislation passed. Recently a one-year extension gave the counties an additional allocation to buy time which will allow counties additional time to identify alternative funding strategies for not only Title II and III projects but the road maintenance funds. Congress is looking at alternative legislative measures which would replace previous payments based on timber sale receipts but that outcome in both unpredictable and may be several years before counties see results. Traditionally Title II and Title III funding has been appropriated on a 70%-30% split respectively. For 2007 the Deschutes County BOCC reversed the percentage spread and the total amount available for Title III is approximately $765,000. In previous years Title III received approximately $250,000 annually which was allocated to the following recipients: • Deschutes County Sheriff • Deschutes County Forester • Project Wildfire • Heart of Oregon • High Desert Museum • Glades Meadow restoration project. • Edgington Road District • Nature Conservancy • Wolf Tree Education Foundation • Other education/natural resource initiatives. Title III dollars can only be spent in specific areas as per the legislation: • Emergency services on public lands, i.e. Search and Rescue and materials. • Costs for supervising mandatory community service work on public lands. • Easements for access or conservation. • Forest related education. • Fire prevention and planning. • Community Forestry. Alternatives and Strategy: The only thing certain is that the extension of the funding will be the last Deschutes County will see until Congress passes new legislation. The timing and funding amounts is unknown, consequently impossible to predict. Based on the available information there are three viable alternatives to consider: Alternative 1: Continue with existing process allocating approximately $250,000 annually to qualifying applicants. This would give Deschutes County approximately three years before Title III funding is exhausted. Alternative 2: Fund the Deschutes County Sheriff, @ $75,000, the County Forester @ $75,000 and Project Wildfire @ $40,000 annually which will give Deschutes County approximately four years before Title III funding is exhausted. Alternative 3: Fund the Deschutes County Sheriff, @ $50,000, the County Forester @ $50,000 and Project Wildfire @ $25,000 annually which will give Deschutes County approximately five years before Title III funding is exhausted. Preferred Alternative is 2: Keeping the funding at the identified levels will allow the Sheriff’s Department, Forester and Project Wildfire to operate at “sufficient levels.” Both the Forester and Project Wildfire have other grant dollars to supplement the programs but can not operate with grant funding alone. Project Wildfire has brought in excess of $1.5 million dollars to Deschutes County thru grant writing efforts we must maintain this as a viable program because of the success of the program and our interagency commitments. Having a stable budget for at least four years is an added advantage from a planning advantage. The other two alternatives either will not extend Title III funding for a sufficient time period or in the case of Alternative 3, those dollars amounts for the Sheriff Department or Forester will result in significantly reduced services and reduce flexibility to utilize grant funding opportunities. The consequences of this alternative versus Alternative #1 is programs such as Heart of Oregon and other worthy endeavors will have to seek alternative funding sources. This will not be a popular decision but at this point with funding potentially going away, we simply must take care of existing programs within County government. Project Wildfire is an anomaly in that the program was created and still currently managed by County ordinance Choosing Alternative 2 will allow Deschutes County sufficient time to develop funding strategies if in fact Title III dollars or other funding schemes completely end. Alternative 2 chosen by BOCC for FY’s 07-11.